Category Archives: Masculinity

Film Meander: No Time To Die Review Essay (Spoilers).

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And here, we arrive. At the end of an era. Five films and fifteen years. Daniel Craig’s swansong as James Bond has to see the actor go out all guns blazing and then some. But, does he?

Well. Not quite. But, mostly.

The prelude is almost an ethereal, dreamlike sequence. We see a young Madeleine Swann in her family’s home in Norway. Off in the distance across a frozen lake, there’s a masked man, armed and making his way to the house. The camera switches between the wholesome activities going in the house between young Madeleine and her mother and the progress of the masked man. Neither mother nor daughter know who’s coming until it’s too late. The man enters, kills the mother then checks the rest of the house for his intended target – The father, Mr. White; High ranking member of SPECTRE. After failing his mission, the man seeks to leave but is instead given a new target. Young Madeleine. The prelude ends with Madeleine running for her life across the frozen lake. It collapses and she falls into the icy depths, seemingly trapped. The masked man approaches, but rather than kill her. He saves her.

The film starts proper in the UNESCO town of Matera, Italy. It’s a spectactularly idyllic hill town that’s isolated from pretty much everywhere. Exactly the kind of place 007 and his new wife, Madeleine Swann (who is Mrs. Swann, not Mrs. Bond), to escape to not just for a honeymoon, but to keep their heads down and out of sight from SPECTRE, MI6, the CIA and anyone else who might want them.

There’s the standard beauty shots of the location, the classic music and the sense of class and elegance that lets us all know we are in the world of James Bond. So far, so good. Naturally, the audience is expecting things to take a turn. They’d be correct.

Just as we’ve gotten comfortable seeing Bond enjoy some semblance of normality where it looks like he’s about to settle down and leave his secret agent days behind, it all goes wrong. And, as has been the fashion with the Craig era, there’s a personal link to why his tranquil honeymoon period has gone awry.

The action begins in a somewhat delicate, emotional manner. For Bond and Swann to move on as a couple, Madeleine asks that James forgive Vesper for her betrayal. She wants there to be no secrets, regrets or resentment in their hearts. Perfectly reasonable and very healthy. Until the tomb Vesper’s buried in blows up soon after Bond puts his note of forgiveness down.

The explosive and electric action starts culminating in the, now presumably famous, climax where the DB5 does doughnuts whilst machine gunning its way out of trouble. It’s fast paced, thrilling and keeps you on your toes. When the Aston’s surrounded, we get more personal when Bond uses the situation to put Madeleine under pressure to tell the truth as to whether she leaked their location. With the bulletproof glass getting nearer breaking point from sustaining hundreds, if not thousands, of bullets, Madeleine swears to James that them being found was not her doing. Cue the doughnut.

There is a heartbreaking moment afterwards where Bond feels he has to be rid of Madeleine. Like Vesper before her, Bond feels it’s the woman who’s captured his heart that’s made him vulnerable. So, he puts her on a train and goes solo where he decides to retire to Jamaica.

Meanwhile, back at MI6, M is having a crisis of his own. His top secret project, Heracles, has gone wrong and he needs to fix it. Being top secret, he can’t tell anyone what it is which is a problem when he needs Q and new 007, Nomi, played by Lashanna Lynch, to help him fix it. The ‘fix’ being retrieving the stolen nanovirus known as ‘Heracles’.

Which, subsequently, requires the skills and expertise of the old 007. New meets old and James Bond is brought up to speed by the current 007 on what Heracles actually is. A nanovirus that can be programmed to eradicate the DNA of an individual but is transmitted harmlessly through touch until it reaches its target. All a person would have to do is infect someone in the circle of the target and wait. Of course, this being a Bond film, it turns out SPECTRE has taken the nanovirus along with its creator, Dr. Valdo Obruchev, to turn it into a weapon of mass destruction. And it happens to be Blofeld’s birthday. And the party’s in Jamaica. Handy, really.

This gives us a chance to see the criminally wasted Ana De Armas’ scatty Cuban agent, Paloma. The chemistry between her and Craig is right from Knives Out which brings a nice levity to the current situation. From here though, I think the film starts to break down. Yes, it’s a Bond film and wacky supervillain plans are what we all love, but this gets quite far-fetched. Why SPECTRE chose Jamaica to host a birthday party for their imprisoned leader is an unexplained mystery. And to get round that unexplained mystery, Blofeld is present via a bionic eye. It’s as though the writers couldn’t come up with a suitable reason for the party and a retired Bond to be in the same place at the same time so decided to distract the viewer further by using an absurd device to maintain some kind of tension as well as remind the viewer of the resentful adopted sibling relationship between Bond and Blofeld.

Of course, Bond prevails but only because the captured Dr. Obruchev has, miraculously, reversed the nanovirus back to its original purpose wherby only SPECTRE members are targeted.

After this sequence, we’re quickly off to a secret manmade installation with Bond, Lighter and Logan Ash. Paloma is left behind for unexplained reasons.

I’m now coming back to Logan Ash. The character is not only dreary, but turns out to be a double agent for the CIA and SPECTRE. Betrayal ensues resulting in the end of the well-loved Felix Lighter. I would say that the writers should have gotten rid of Logan Ash entirely and replaced him with Paloma being the double agent. Ash is too obvious with his Chad-style arrogance, naivety and cultural blindness. Paloma would have been far more convincing as a double agent given how well she got on with Bond. Replacing Logan Ash with Paloma wouldn’t have hampered the rest of the story and would have made the audience feel more disarmed whereas Logan Ash is just a stereotypical American jock. Doing this would have also given Ana De Armas a lot more screentime. Something this very talented actress could do with.

From hereonin it’s a marathon instead of a sprint to the finish. There’s an interesting but, ultimately, unneccessary scene with Blofeld which not only sees the villian reunited with his adopted brother, but it also brings Madeliene Swann back together with Bond. Swann being hired by M as a psychology expert on Blofeld despite having been a SPECTRE member. Enemy of my enemy and so on…

We’re then off to Norway where Bond and Swann have rekindled their relationship and are shacked up in the Swann family home where the ‘secret’ Blofeld eluded to was that Madeleine was pregnant. With Bond’s child. How Blofeld knew before Bond despite being locked up is another mystery the writers felt was best left unexplained. Madeleine insists the child, Mathilde, isn’t his but it’s clear to Bond, and the audience, that there’s no escaping those ice blue eyes as belonging to no one else but James Bond.

As foreshadowed in the prelude, something bad is going to happen in the Swann house. Baddies show up and the Bond-Swann family need to escape ASAP. Fortunately, the family car is a Toyota Landcruiser which, quite easily, fends off the Range Rover Sport’s and Land Rover Defender’s sent to take them down. I’m sure the producers were aware they were reinforcing the perception of the Landcruiser.

After seeing off most of the baddies, the Bond-Swann family hideout in the forest. This scene, I felt would hit fathers the most. What’s not shown in a lot of films these days is just how far a father will go to protect his family. And here, we have a clinically executed set of moves from a Papa Bear that no one would mess with on their best day. Even Logan Ash gets a silent, undignified send off which I found satisfying in a primal sort of way. Would have been more wrenching were it Paloma.

Alas, despite Papa Bond’s best efforts and Mama Swann’s attempts at not being caught, neither had enough plot armour to escape mother and daughter being kidnapped leading us to Bond having to track his family down and confront the villian.

I say villian. Rami Malek’s ridiculously named, Lyutsifer Safin, is almost non-existent. By the time he was reintroduced, I had started to forget he was in the film since the whole mid-section was related to Blofeld.

We get the usual monologue of why Safin’s doing what he’s doing, how he and Bond are not so different, etc, etc. Nothing particularly new here (we even get a secret island hideout) and Rami Malek seems to think so too since he’s asleep for most of his performance. Maybe they were going for the quiet, introverted type of evil villian, but it just looks he really couldn’t be bothered with seeing his plan through and would rather Bond kill him because it save him the effort of taking himself out of the equation.

To get on the island, however, required Bond to team up with current 007, Nomi. Despite the ‘woke’ marketing campaign, I think both characters played well together with Nomi respectfully deferring to her MI6 elder, Quite anti-woke, if anything. Same went for Q who was subtley outed by Moneypenny earlier in the film.

The third act, like the second, goes on too long. After mulling this over after having watched it, I think the film is better served by getting rid of Malek’s character altogether. Keep the story and the plot points, but swap Safin for Blofeld and you could not only streamline the story but you’d also get a more emotionally impactful end with the adopted brothers duking it out, both hellbent on killing the other not only for personal reasons but with family and the world at stake. It would have made Bond’s sacrifice all the more weighted whilst giving the studio the chance to redeem themselves after underwhelmingly bringing Blofeld into the Craig era in SPECTRE. Having him as the primary villian in this film could have cast the previous film in a different light where Blofeld was merely being ‘warmed up’ before being let loose for the final film. A missed opportunity.

I think, to a lesser extent, Felix Lighter could have been given a better end instead of being left alone at sea. We could have had Lighter join James against Blofeld. Two professional brothers against one deranged psychopathic one. The man introduced as ‘a brother from Langley’ could have gone out as one. Maybe it was in an earlier draft and someone decided that, whilst it ticked the ‘Person of Colour’ box, it didn’t tick the ‘Female’ box. Shame.

Ultimately, like many Bond films, you switch your brain off and let everything wash over you. It’s more enjoyable that way. And I did enjoy it as the first film I’d seen at the cinema in the post-lockdown period.

What frustrates me, however, is how difficult it seems to be for EON to actually get a cohesive story together despite getting Phoebe Waller Bridge to fix the script as well as sprinkle some humour. I don’t know where the sprinkle of humour went, but unless she inserted an in-joke somewhere, I found this film to be fairly humourless.

But then, humour wasn’t really needed given what was being tackled here. And since it’s the first time a Bond has actually died (well, we see him atop a cliff whilst the Royal Navy fire a barrage of missiles towards the secret island), I don’t think an excess of jokes would be appropriate. Besides, how many secret agents spend most of their time laughing everything off? What we do get is some black and dry humour. The only real levity came from Paloma and that was enough. Were she to be in the film for longer, her scattiness would have to be dialled down.

In summary, despite the technical issues I’ve highlighted, it’s a good, enjoyable film and a worthy send off to Craig’s Bond. But please, oh, please, switch your brain off before, during and after. You think about it and it’s ruined.

Artificial Selection

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Nature is a cruel mother. She spent millions of years creating millions of forms of life on Earth. And when she was done – she pitted them against each other. The sole purpose of this exercise was to see which of her creations were the best. Those that prevailed got to stay on the planet. Those that lost were forced off this world never to be seen or heard from again.

As the species’ were whittled down, a strange occurrence took place.

Man.

Descended from the primates, this species did something no other species had done before. It took a growth spurt. Man surged ahead, far beyond its animal brethren and developed consciousness, awareness, higher intelligence and imagination.

It used these greater evolutionary tools to its advantage. By casting stone unto stone, it could create fire. Using its imagination, it could use animal sinew to bend wood and combine it with a stick sharpened by stone to create a weapon that could be used from a distance.

What Mother Nature created was a species so above the rest of her creations, it could think outside its environment. In fact, it eventually got so good at manipulating the environment created for it that it went and made one of its own. As it did, its ability to dominate grew. The weapons and strategies used against its former predators outmatched them to the point of humiliation. Mother Nature had no answer for Man. She started losing control and could not maintain her grip much longer.

Once it was free of Nature’s reins, Man began to develop at an astonishing rate. Within a few millennia, it had used trees and rocks to build shelter and weapons. Animals, if possible, were consumed in their entirety not just for food but for bindings and clothing. Man used its inherent advantages to develop a clear focus and ruthless efficiency. This combination saw it continue its rise to dominance within the world built for it.

As its mind sharpened, its tools and structures followed suit. Once it could fortify itself and keep safe its women and children, Man sought to become its own creator. By building small settlements, the Alpha took his place at the top of his chosen settlement and declared himself leader and defender of all within his realm.

Threats came from all sides. Natural enemies still existed so the Alpha and his tribe of warriors would slay any animals that dare try to attack.

Rivals from the outside would attack to gain ownership over the settlement by directly attacking the Alpha. If that failed, they would try to take the women, children and any resources they could get hold of. If they failed, they may fail to become Alphas in their own and not be selected for mating.

The final enemy came from within. The Alpha had to be wary of those in his ranks that one or more may challenge him for the right to rule.

As Man progressed and his structures, tools and weapons grew more sophisticated, his natural enemies stopped being the animals. He had built such a divide that their existence posed very little threat. In fact, he hunted them for pleasure and for a challenge more than for survival.

So, what does Man do when there are no more natural predators? He creates new ones. Ones that are of the same species but have something he regards as a threat. Maybe they’re younger, faster, stronger or have more drive, determination and ideas. The Alpha’s position is compromised but he cannot show vulnerability even in the face of absolute defeat. He tells himself he is strong. He has his followers reassure him of his place at the top of the tree. But these followers would not question their leader and those that would would face consequences so they either repress their thoughts or show fealty to the challenger.

At such a point, an Alpha can quickly lose their position if they do not act. Until the twentieth century, they would have simply challenged their opponent to a duel of some sort. The terms and weapons used would have changed but the principle was the same – the current leader and the prospective one fight it out to see who is stronger. Whichever one is alive at the end either keeps their position or gains one.

This behaviour manifested into a more cynical, sinister and silent form after the Second World War. With so many centuries-long issues (war, famine, disease – you could put most of these issues under the broad scope of three of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse) mostly resolved in the Developed World, and with many tools no longer acceptable, the typical way for Alpha’s to oust their challengers was outlawed.

So, what does Man do? He creates new ones.

These new tools don’t kill instantly and they don’t offer challengers any dignity, honour or nobility in the face of victory or defeat. The new tools, like those used to separate man from the animals, are designed to keep one set of Man away from the other. But what they do is they ensure those in the higher position can extract the advantages from those in the lower position without sacrificing anything of themselves but everything from the lower ranked male.

Hierarchies, networks, money, technology, corporations and bullying, whilst not new are now the primary force for men in Alpha-style positions to keep that position or move up the ladder.

A true Alpha, however, at least in the animal kingdom, exercises strength when necessary. He ensures his followers are looked after. His concern goes beyond himself and he will fight to protect those loyal to him.

But what of these false Alphas? The ones in companies who work tirelessly to stop those more capable and intelligent from overthrowing them? We can’t describe them as Beta as that would imply they take on a supporting and advisory role to one above them. Omega would suggest they have the positive traits of both Alpha and Beta. A man who can lead and support just as well but real interest in either.

Gamma is the worst of the Alpha and the Beta. They will be overly aggressive, protect their position at any cost even the expense of people and resources. These are more likely to become paranoid and insecure as they tend to have little to offer.

A Sigma is cunning and dangerous. They do not conform to society and don’t play the social game but win due to their ability to bend people to their will.

The Delta is the pretender. It hangs out with the more sociable males, Alpha and Beta but cannot generate the confidence to be either one.

Since large scale killings in the Developed World of Man no longer take place, more of these men with negative, counter-productive and destructive traits have been allowed to enter society with little consequence for their actions.

While physical attack is at a minimum in these areas, the threat still exists. A male of any type can choose to strike fear into his chosen target. But it is no longer apparent how it is done the higher up the ladder you go.

The world Mother Nature made is cruel but fair. If you are strong enough, you can live, survive and reproduce. The weak are killed or rejected as unworthy of reproducing with.

The world of Man, however, is cruel and unfair. If you are strong, the weak can come together to take you down for you are a threat and possess qualities they do not and may never have.

Mother Nature created a world where the strong can obtain higher positions and keep it by showing loyalty, honour and respect to those that follow and support.

With Man, the weak can obtain such positions through deception, confusion, manipulation and collaboration with others of similar ability. Together, they create a network designed to trick, fool and humiliate those that enter the web willing to do the right thing.

The difference between the world’s Mother Nature and Man?

Progress.

Nature encourages it from the viewpoint of evolution. Only the best genes earn the right to be passed on.

Man, however, through conscious thought, can convince himself that he is the best and only he can progress. All rivals must be suppressed, oppressed, repressed and, ultimately, removed from any trajectory pointed towards him.

Men who want to achieve real progress face an ever increasingly difficult struggle to do so.

This is the world as it is now and will only become worse. For a time.

Whether knowingly or not, the world of finance and economics has been slowly raising the bar by which previously simple utilities are becoming less accessible. A modest wage no longer buys a modest lifestyle. The average house cannot be bought by the average anymore. Those that bought a property in the eighties or any prior decade but maintained the same salary could not afford their house today.

Transportation, holidays, entertainment, food are all slowly becoming increasingly unaffordable for those who were average but are now considered beneath it. Those above the average, if they do not recognise it, will become average and then beneath if they are unable to keep climbing.

The artificial barriers created by Man are worse than those ones set by Mother Nature.

Mother Nature says if you survive an attack, you are given an opportunity to get better.

In Man’s world of concrete, steel and glass, if you slip you can find yourself tumbling without knowing it until it’s too late. There is no help because those around you are too weak to do so but must also appear compliant in front of those who gave the push. For they too fear being pushed themselves. Combined weakness from above and below ensures anyone with skill, talent and knowledge that poses a threat disappears.

How do the strong survive in such a world?

The options are few:

One – They play their leader’s game and appear compliant.

Two – They don’t sit quiet and get on with things. They must highlight their presence as valuable and ensure everyone knows it. This will make it difficult for them to be removed.

Three – They don’t get involved.

Such strategies will allow them to survive but it creates a different divide. One where the strong and capable don’t apply themselves to the world infested with paranoia and insecurity. The risk is too great.

So, where does the world go when the weak are gaining power and the strong no longer pursue it?

For the moment, it goes through trouble. A lot of trouble. Progress will slow because those with real power to make good change aren’t involving themselves too heavily. They’ll sit on the sidelines and watch the bickering and backstabbing.

The weak will always fail. It’s a question of time. They’re lack of abilities will shine through eventually.

And when they do, the strong will be waiting to take over and reset the balance.

Just as Mother Nature intended.

Until then…every man is an island.